Cushioning unit



March 4, 1941. -:."H. BLATTNER &233.396 I CUSHIONING UNIT i r Filed April 2, 1940 mema Mer. 4, 1941" 'cUsHoNN me.: w v Emil H; Blattner, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to The Symington Gould Corporation,

Rochester, 2

N. Y.,' acorporation of Maryland 3 ApplicationApr-il 2, 1940, Serial No. 327.524 7cams.` -(Cl. zez-9 This invention relates to 'a cu'shioning unit of a design particularly adaptedto be associated with springs "of a difrerent` character to preventbuild-up of 'the harmonic or synchronous move- V ments of the latter-mentioned springs which may otherwise occur in service. j

An object of the invention is to provide, ina

' *cushioning unit,` means adapted to .create !rictional torcestoiretard the compressive and. ex-

jpa'nsive movements of the unit. aswell asas sist in forming a unit of predetermine'd Capacity.

Another object of the invention is' the proposed and acting springs urging shoe portons thereot radially into inti'nate contact'with a surrounding shell. e

A further object of, the invention' is the pro- 'vision of three shoes in "a cushioning mechanism and a like number ot radially` acting springs each ot which has one ,end thereof bearing upomone 'shoe and the other end thereof reacting against the other two shoes. e i

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the succeeding'descrip- '25 tion which isto be considered together with the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein:`

Figure 1 is a vertical crossjsectional 'view of a cushioning unit illustrating the 'presentyinvention.

T Figure 2 is a horizontalsectional 'mot: the

cushioning unit taken along the lines 2-`-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction ofthe a'rrows.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectonal view corresponding to Figura 2 andtakenalong the Iines '3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow s.` 4 I 4 Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional viewcorrev sponding somewhat to Figures`2` and 'Band taken along the'lines & -4 of Figure '1, looking lnthe 40 direction of the arrows. n i i Figure is an inside elevational view of a portion of a shoe.

' Referring now in detail to the drawing wherein like reference 'characters' designate like parts, the numeral l indicates', ina general manner, ,a

cushioning unit, device or mechanism most commonly associated with springs or`resilient means of a .different character in a railway truck to thereby form a group or nest of non-harmonic resilier't supporting means.

The cushioning unit desirably comprises a sleeve, barrel or housing 2 formed in part by a 'cap or end plate 3, presenting a radial ring-like ilange l having a centrally disposed convolution or protuberance 5. The protruberance, closing ;the upperextremitvof the device, to thereby prevent the entrance of foreign substanca to the interior. of the unit, forms a circular shoulder 6 racing outwardly and downwardly of the device. I Depending from theecap is a circular or 5 tubular member or shell 'I which has an upper rextremitythereof telescoping in rather a neat fitting relation theshoulder portion of the con- "vo1ution. The [upper extremity is outwardly scarfed or tapered to'forma recess for' the appli- 10 cationof asuitable weld s which rigidly secures the, cap 'and shell together, vision, in a cushioning dvice', of hrizontally dis- Associated with the shell are counterpart shoes 9 each having a segmental stern o 'projecting into the tubular member." The shoestemsare 15 circular in horizontal cross section to present outergcylindrical stu-faces n which conform with an inner cylindrical surface` 'l of the tubular member so as to permit the shoes to adjust themselves axlally of the deviceduring service move- 20 ments th'ereoi. The shoes, which are preferably three in number so as to ensure an appreciable bear-ing area between the shoes and shell, are adapted to move relatively to the shell longitudinally of the device. Each shoe has, adjacent its 5 lower extremity, a radially extending or circular flange `l| direct'ed outwardly of the unit and des irably ,terminating short of the outer limits thereof. Bearing 'upontthe shoe `-fianges is an annular member orring-like plate Iz having a. 30

centraiopenng !3 which accommodates the shoe stems. r The annular member has aninner and V downwardly faci ng' circular relief or recess M 'into which the shoe flanges extend, and by reason of 'this relationship ,of parts the annular 35 member is nterlocked with the shoes and capable of movement therewith,

Assisting in resisting the compressve movement oi the device and forming the' sole expanding means therefor is a coil or helical spring IS 40 having convolutions thereof extending around the shell and exposed portion of the shoestems, preferably in spaced relationthereto, The coil springis interposed. between and reacts against the cap flan'ge and annular member to .urge the 45 s'leeve' and shoes ,in oppositedirections longitudinallv of the device.

` various means and arrangemen-t thereof have heretofore been employed tourge inner members'of a cushioning unit 'horizontally into bear- 5 ing relation with an oui-,er member for the crea tion of frictional forces during a compressive and expansve movement of a unit. The means employed in the instant structure has been arranged whereby each stem of the three shoes will 55 be urged radially or horizontaliy of the device with an equal amount of pressure. and iliustrative of the above referred to means are inner coil or helicalsprings I& in vertically spaced relation.

The inner coil springs are adapted to react radially of the device to urge the shoe stems into intimate contact with the housing shell to thereby create frictional forces acting on the contacting stem a'surfaces o and shen surface 'l during service movements 'of the cushioningunit. The inner coil springs, desirably three in number, have vertical planes bisectin'g their axes arranged-an-i gularly to one another so that the axis oi' each spring will, if extended in one direction, -bisect'a shoe stem and, if extended. in the opposite direction, project between the stems of the other two shoes. By this arrangement, thereforethe 'innersprings are successively arranged solthat each spring has an end thereof reacting against a single shoe stern substantia-lly centrally -therjeof while the other extremity of the spring reacts against' the' stems of th e` o'thelr two shoes; To

accornmodate the'springs and facilitat'etheir assembly withtheshoes so -that echj spring reacts against all the sho'e stems there isprovided on each shoe stema seriesfof vertically positioned groups of spring*seatsf|1, prefe'-ably'three ln l p'lats' 20, preferably nmben Each' spring'seat 'group consists 'of transvrs'ely spa'ced outer spring seats l8 and iaterally spaced innerpring'seats !9, the outer' spring seats lying infacommon planewhil the inner spring seats arej angul-arly disposedfwith respect torone anothrfso that one inner' spring seat of each group, formed on one sho`e stern, will ile in a plane parallel with` the'outer spring seats 'on 'one of the other shoestems. This 'particular disposition of innersprin'g seat-,s places one inner spring'seat of a stern groupin the 'same' plane as an inner spring 'seat of another stem group.

Arranged substantiaiiy spirally and within the confinesof the shoes *stems is a 'series of spring ;three in number, each' of which extends betweenand bearsjagainst an inner spring seat `|9 -of` two'shoe stems; The spring plates bridge 'thei distance between two shoesfand forn a'means whereby a single i'i ei` -co1 springextremity may urge ,two *shoe stems outwardly of-the devce into intimatecontact with the shell. since theinner coil, sprln s ar'e dispcsed as previously described, each of the three horizontally dircted and actlng inner 'springs thereforfhas one extremity in intirnate 'contact with the copianar outer spring'seats !8 of a group of one Shoe stem', While the other extremity bears directly against a sprin'g plate,v In

all threeshoe stems radially. V I l various changes and alterations may be made this manner each inner springfunctions 'to urge to the llustratedand described structure'without departing from within 'the'spirt and scope f ,t appended clains. v I w I claim:

1. In a cushioning unit, 'in combination, 'a

s-leeve, three shoes eachhaving a stem' portion extending into said sleeve, spring means outward-, ly of 'the sleeve' reacting against said' sleeve "and shoes for urging them in opposite directions, and springs -positioned be-` transversely disposed coil tween said shoe stems for-`urging them radiallyj coil spring having onel against ;said 'sleeve; each extremity in hearing' relation with one shoe stem and the other extremity reacting against two shoe stems.

2. In a cushioning unit, in` combinaticnr a sleeve. three counterpart shoes each'havinge' stem extending into said sle'eve, spring means z outwardly of said' sleeve reactine against the sleeve and shoes for urging them in opposlte di- 'rections, and transversely'acting coil springs interposed "between saidshoe; stems for forcing them against said s-leeve, each of said coil springs reacting against all oi' said shoe stems to urge them radially of the unit.

3. In a cushioning device, in 'com bination,` a; 5 v

housing, three counterpart shoes each having a` stem extending into said housing. fianges on said shoes. outer spring means reacting against said housing and shoe flanges tor urgingsaid shoes' longitudinally oi' said device and in a direction away .from said housing, transversely disposed coil springs each having its'extended ,amshiall of sai d shoesra'diallyof thefdvi ce.

springs each 'arranged i rel, -three shoes each ;having a stemportion pm sitionedjwithin said barrel, ,outer springjnieansj reacting against said barrel and shoes forurging t 'jadially "of the dey'icejandengag each hpe'sten v v p In a, cushioningunit in combina'tlon a barthem apart longitudinallypf the iini-t,`iinner ancif` spect topneano'ther formed on each [Shoe stern; and three substantially each reacting; against outeifspring seats of one of said' shoe stems and inner s'pringseatsoffithe other two shoe stems.

horizontal ;con "spjri'ngs "oute spring jseats y angularly dlspos'ed with ,rei arrel, threeshoeseach having a stem portion i positioned within said barreLlouter spring means reacting long'itudinally oftsaid' devic' forjurging i said barrel and-shoes apart,` inner and outer spring' seats *angularly disposed with respect: Ito one another and formed on each shoestem, and;

three substai'tieliy' horizontal inner springs each sprin atsof "'onesho`e stern and the'oth ei end reacting against e the* inher 'spring seats of the other two shoejstemsj; said inner springs being` `in ventically spaced relation. i

7 Ina cushioning device, in combinationgan outer ember, three 'shoes' each having a, egi men-talstern portion 'positioned within 'said outer mein-ber and adapted to move longitudinallyrelatively thereto, verticaly sp'ac'd inner and outer spring seats Iormed on said 'shoe stems interiorly said d ce.,spira y arranged spring pl ates; each engaging 'inner spring'seats of ,twoshoes, and

horizontally directeds coilsprings each having one' 'i end thereof hearing against one rsad spring piatm and 'the other end hearing against outer 7 springseatsof one oi'saidshoes.` n i "having one end 'there'of reacting against the oter 

